


Minus One Day

by Amy (InnitMarvelous), I love Tony Stark 3000 FOREVER (InnitMarvelous), InnitMarvelous



Series: Endgame Broke My Heart [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), But my head is stuck on Endgame right now so here we go, Character Death, F/M, Gen, Grief/Mourning, I don't feel like figuring out every detail, No Slash, Possible Christian themes, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Tears, Third story takes place in my verse just so you know, This takes place in my verse but I have woven Endgame into the story, This will be the case unless otherwise indicated in future stories, This will not be a part of my main verse, Tony Stark Bingo 2019
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-05-07 11:36:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19208584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnitMarvelous/pseuds/Amy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnitMarvelous/pseuds/I%20love%20Tony%20Stark%203000%20FOREVER, https://archiveofourown.org/users/InnitMarvelous/pseuds/InnitMarvelous
Summary: "If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.” – Winnie the PoohIn the aftermath of the events of Endgame, Rhodey grieves for the loss of his brother.Marked complete for now. Will perhaps return to this at a future date when the muse allows!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My apologies for this but my brain can get off the sad track right now.

They were the last ones to who were still at the cabin. Even Happy had left about an hour ago to take the Parkers home. Now as Pepper tried to wrangle her children into getting ready to go to bed, Monica found herself stepping outside into the quickly growing dark. She paused just a second to make use of the moon’s light to confirm what she suspected, then she started to walk towards the dock.

 

She stopped just short of the dock, wanting to observe the man she loved more than anything before she joined him. Her husband was standing facing towards the lake which meant his back was towards her, and his arms were crossed she was sure since she couldn’t them. It was quickly getting darker, almost to the point it was black out, so it took her a second or so to realize his shoulders were trembling.

 

“Oh my… James?” she said hurrying to cross the remaining distance between them. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders when she reached him, and had to double down on the tears in her eyes when he turned away to keep her from seeing his face.

 

"Oh honey, don't do this," Monica murmured gently, "Please don't try to hide your pain from me." He didn't look at her or respond to her in the least little bit, and so she tried again, "You've were so strong today, James..." 

 

Aside from not being able to keep his tears at bay during the time they had watched Tony's last message, he had been okay. Oh there were a few times when she had looked at him she could see he was struggling to clamp down on his emotions, but for the most part this day hadn't seemed all that bad on him given what day it was. 

 

She had finally saw him start to crumble again while they had both been watching Pepper talking quietly to her children. Monica isn’t sure what precisely her husband saw during that exchange to set off his emotions. But there had been a definite moment when she heard a small, sharp intake of breath by him, and she knew he must have seen one or both of the kids do something that had reminded him of the brother he had laid to rest that afternoon.

 

"Please,  _ please _ , just let me hold you and let go," she murmured, hoping he would do what she said instead of continuing to try to fight. For just a little longer, it did seem like he wouldn’t, and Monica felt her heart further shatter., But then he turned around towards her, and what she feared would could true actually came true. The depth of pain she saw in her husband’s eyes made her feel like she was staring into an abyss that she would never find her way out of again. She did the only thing she knew to do in response, which was to pull him fully into her arms, and hold him a tightly as her strength would allow her to.

 

She cupped the back of his head when she felt him start to pull away, and guided it to rest on her shoulder, "Go ahead and cry or scream or whatever you need to do to let the pain out. I'm here, James. I'm  _ here _ . I  _ love _ you, and I'm not going anywhere."

 

* * *

"FRIDAY, have Jim and Monica left yet?" 

 

Pepper's soft question came when a particularly loud crackle in the fire had jerked her out of her thoughts. She didn't know how long it had been since she had curled up on the couch but she sensed it had been awhile.

 

"No, ma'am, they are outside together on the dock."

 

"What are they doing?"

 

"I believe they are talking. Would you like for me to see if I can discern what they're talking about?"

 

Her eyes widened and she shook her head, "No! Of course not! I don't want to invade their privacy!" It had been nine years since FRIDAY had been brought online but she didn't have the experience JARVIS had had and so there were still moments where she was still learning.

 

"Let me know when they--"

 

"I am sorry for interrupting you, ma'am, but General and Mrs. Rhodes are walking towards the house." A short time later when she heard the door open, she turned around to find them both in the doorway. Of course, she didn't fail to notice their fingers were intertwined... or that Rhodey's eyes looked a bit swollen and red.

 

"Hey," Monica started slowly, "we're uh about to head home."

 

Pepper nodded, pushing aside the throw she had over her legs, and then got up to go over to them. She went to Monica first because the other woman had her arms open, ready to give her a hug. 

 

"You call us if you need  _ anything _ ," she said into Pepper's ear, holding her a little longer than she normally would after she felt Pepper trembling a little bit.

 

"I will," the still freshly made widow returned in a dull voice that did little to disguise the pain she was trapped in.

 

"I  _ mean _ it, Pepper. We want you to call us if you need us," she repeated as she pulled back and looked at her.

 

There was what could only be described as an obligatory nod of her head she turned to the man who had been her husband's closest friend, and before either of them could blink, Pepper's arms were wrapped tightly around him.

 

Their hug was shorter than Monica would have expected to be between them but then she knew her husband was reaching the end of his emotional rope for the day. He needed to sleep, and hopefully escape his grief during those hours. She watched as he pulled back, dropped his arms, and gave Pepper a nod that she knew said everything he didn’t trust himself to say right now. With that he reached out for her hand again, and they turned to leave.

 

Pepper wrapped her arms around herself, then she followed them to the door, and watched as they descended the porch steps calling out, “Be careful on your way home, and _ please _ let me know when you get there?”

 

They looked back at her, with Monica voicing a response, “We will. I’ll text you!”

 

A nod, then after a short pause, “I… I love you both!”

 

Rhodey looked back at her, their eyes meeting as he managed to get out, “Love you too!”


	2. Chapter 2

They quietly unlocked the door and slipped inside their house. When Monica peeked into the living room while she waited for her husband to lock up again, she found what she had been expecting to find. Her Dad had fallen asleep in his favorite chair, a book laying over his chest with one hand over it. His glasses were resting at an odd angle on his face, and he was lightly snoring. She sensed her husband come up beside her.

 

"Hey, can you tell him thanks for coming home with Colton tonight and that I'm sorry for not saying good night?" 

 

Monica nodded, "Of course. Are you going to bed?"

 

"Yes, I am.." 

 

"I'll be along shortly. Okay?"

 

He kissed her, and after one last glance at his father-in-law, he started down the hallway towards their bedroom.

 

Once he was gone, she padded her way across the room. She carefully removed her Dad’s glasses and set them on the lamp table beside the chair. She didn't bother with trying to get his book away since she knew it'd be taken care of when she woke him up.

 

"Dad? Daddy?" Monica said softly, trying not to scare him.

 

Frank slowly stirred, then after a few seconds, his eyes opened. He blinked and yawned before looking at his daughter, “Oh, I dozed off... didn't mean to. What time is it?”

 

"Almost eleven, Daddy."

 

Her father sat up in the chair, rubbing the back of his neck, "Where's James?"

 

"He's getting ready for bed. He said to tell you thanks for coming back home with Colton so we could stay a little longer and he's sorry that he didn't say goodnight to you himself."

 

He shook his head, "Oh, that man! Thanks aren't necessary, and neither is saying goodnight. I know he's not having an easy time right now. Speaking of which,  _ how _ is he doing?"

 

Monica had intended to answer his question with words but the next thing she knew, her father was hugging her, and she was holding onto him tightly.

 

Frank held onto her as long as she wanted, which was only a minute or two. When she pulled away, and he could see her face again, he saw her eyes were bright with tears. He already had the answer to his question but still she gave him an answer in a pained voice.

 

"He's hurting, Daddy. He's hurting so  **much** ! He and To... Tony were brothers for almost forty years. Forty years!" She shook her head, "It's not right, Daddy! He shouldn't be dead right now! He should have had many more years with us!"

 

"I know, sweetheart. I know."

 

"I mean when I think of those precious kids of his having to finish growing up without their father... and... and Pepper had to lose her husband because some ugly alien monster thought he had the right to play God... and how much he  _ hurt _ my husband by making his best friend... the man he loved as like his brother... Daddy, I can't help but  _ hate _ him and I know if for any reason he could be brought back, I would be the first one in line to kill him  _ myself _ . If it were possible, if I ever had the chance, I would have no problems with tearing him from limb to limb for how much he hurt the people I love!"

 

"Oh, honey..."

 

"I know you and Mom taught us to  **never** hate anyone. You always said there was never any reason or excuse good enough to justify hating someone but... I hate him, Daddy! I hate him with every part of my being! I hate him for the hurt he caused and I hate him for... Do you know what it's like to watch someone you love with all your heart be... in so much pain like this and you know there's  **nothing** you can do to make it go away? Do you know how it feels to be helpless like that?"

 

Her father nodded, "Yes, honey, I  _ do _ know how it feels. I have known it all too well far too many times in my life. One of the first times was when your Mother died, and I had to watch you and your sister grieve. Then when Darrell was killed in New York. And then again when we lost your sister just a few short years later."

 

He sighed, "I know this is probably too soon to say this but I think that maybe I need to say this anyway."

 

Monica felt a bit nervous all of sudden, wondering what her father was about to say to her.

 

"Look, I know you're angry, Monica, because you're having to watch loved ones try to find their way through what seems like an insurmountable pain that will never go away for them because you have all lost two people that you loved more than words can ever express but..."

 

_ Here it comes finally... _

 

"But you hating Thanos isn't going to hurt him. Even if he wasn't dead... or snapped out of existence or whatever he is. My point is that hatred doesn't ever hurt the person who is the object of the hatred, ever. Instead it hurts the person who is feeling it. If the hatred is allowed to go on long enough, it will just eat away at the person, like a cancer."

 

"I know, Daddy. I know. Right now I don't think that I can help how I feel because... every time I look at my husband and I have to see the pain in his eyes... well it's hard to feel anything but anger and hatred towards him."

 

Frank nodded, and squeezed his daughter's hand, "I know, it's hard not to be a raging lioness when someone you love is in pain. I understand that. Everything is so fresh right now." 

 

They were only five days past what the media was calling the Battle of Earth, which meant everything was still all too fresh, vivid in everyone's minds.

 

"I'm not sure that even the passage of time is going to help this time, Daddy. I want it too. Of course I do, but how do you even get past a loss like we've suffered?"

 

"I'm not sure you ever get past this kind of great loss, honey, at least not completely.”

 

There was a sad lilt to his voice and his daughter knew he was thinking about her mother, sister, and all the other people he’d loved that were gone from his life.

 

“But I do know it is possible to learn to be able to bear the pain of loss of loved ones with the passage of time. It usually comes after a lot of letting yourself feel the pain and after a lot of crying for the love ones you've lost. And you pray... oh you just pray so  _ much _ , especially on the days when you think you, and everyone else who was left behind too, just can't take missing them for one more second!"

 

Monica sighed, and wiped a tear away, looking at her father, "No offense, Daddy, but with all that's happened I... I think my faith has been just a little shaken up..."

 

"It's understandable, given everything that's happened. Is it okay if I ask you if its been shaken to the point where you don't believe in God anymore?"

 

She shrugged, "I... don't know, Daddy. I don't think I've stopped believing completely but..."

 

"But you have a lot of questions?"

 

"Yes, I do."

 

"And that's okay.”

 

“You don’t think because I have questions I’ve lost faith?”

 

“No, I don’t because I believe you can believe and trust in God and still ask questions. I don’t think it’s a contradiction.”

 

She was too tired to think of anything else to say in response so she just settled on, "I love you, Daddy."

 

"I love you too, sweetheart. You know I'll be praying for you  _ and _ James too."

 

"Yes, especially for James, Daddy... and Clint. Both of their hearts are broken."

 

_ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted... _

 

"I will, Monica, I will."

 

"Well, I am going to peek in on Colton and then head to bed. Are you going to bed now too, Daddy?"

 

"Yes, yes, I am... that is if you don't mind helping an old man get up on his feet?"

 

"Oh Daddy, of course I will!"

 

"Now what did I do with my-- thank you!"

 

Monica made sure he had a firm grasp on his cane before she offered him her hand for him to take.

 

Frank grunted as he pulled himself to his feet with his daughter's aid, "Thank you."

 

"You're very welcome, Daddy. Come on, let's go to bed." They walked back together towards the bedrooms where she left her father at his door. She then picked into her nephew and son's room to find the new teenager fast asleep. With a sigh, she quietly closed the door to his room, praying as she went that somehow her husband wasn't going to still be awake like she was afraid he was.


	3. Chapter 3

Monica couldn’t say she was surprised when she slipped into their bedroom, and saw that her husband's eyes were still open. She was glad that she had already gone into the bathroom to get into her pajamas, so she could just slip into her side of the bed. 

 

"Everything okay?" he inquired.

 

She could hear the exhaustion in his voice, along with the pain. Her heart felt so tightly clenched in her chest that it was hard for her lungs to draw in the next breath. She had to blink away tears once more when she looked over at the man she loves. She did her best to smile, she nodded, “Yeah, Daddy just wanted to talk a little while is all.”

 

Her husband gave an okay in the form of a nod but didn't say anything else.

 

She watched him for a few seconds, Monica kept her voice soft when she spoke his name,"Do you want to talk?"

 

“No… no not really. I think I just want to get some sleep." He left  _ If I can sleep, that is.  _ unsaid but she had known him long enough to hear the words as clearly as if he'd actually said them aloud.

 

Not knowing what else to do, she reached her hand out towards him, and as he intertwined his fingers with hers, she then murmured, agreeing with him, "Okay, we'll go to sleep then."

 

"Goodnight, Moni. I love you."

 

"I love you too, James. If you can't sleep and I am asleep, don't hesitate to wake me?"

 

"I uh..."

 

"It's okay if you wake me up. I promise."

 

"Okay."

 

It wasn't exactly an enthusiastic response but she reseasoned to herself, he did give affirmation in some way. It wasn’t satisfying but Monica didn't want to push it so she just gave a nod. She waited until he closed his eyes, before she closed her own. Their day had been so long that it had felt like it would never end, and she knew he had to be exhausted because she was, It  wasn't surprising to Monica when she heard his breathing begin to even out.

 

"Lord, please help him... help us  _ all _ with this. We're missing Tony and Nat so much."

 

She thinks it was probably around two hours later when she woke up and didn’t know why. She stayed awake because she didn’t hear the sound of her husband’s breathing beside her. She turned over, touching his empty side of the bed, and there was no warmth left on the sheets. He'd probably gotten out of bed shortly after she'd finally fallen asleep. After a moment or so,she grabbed her robe, and went in search of her husband.

 

She tried the living room first. He wasn't there. Next she peeked into the kitchen, and wasn't there either but he had been there, the still warm tea kettle on the stove was evidence of that. Leaving the kitchen, she continued on with her search, walking back down the hallway towards the only other place where she thought he might be inside the house. When she reached her destination, she stopped wondering how she missed the fact the door was partially open, a telltale sign that he was indeed inside since the door was always kept closed.

 

Knocking softly on the half closed door to his office, she pushed it open, "James?" She received no response as she stepped into the room, “James, honey?”

 

“Hey, what are you doing up?” he asked, not turning around from large picture window he was sitting in front of.

 

Not that she could blame him since the window allowed for a gorgeous view of the stars above on a night as clear as this one appeared to be. The view was breathtaking but sad because she knows the man she loves might be staring at them, but his eyes weren’t seeing anything tonight

 

“I think that's supposed to be my question to you,” Monica said as she moved around his desk and placed an arm around his shoulders.

 

“I couldn’t sleep,” he finally admitted, "Or I guess it's more accurate to say, I couldn't  _ stay _ asleep."

 

"Couldn't stay asleep, hmm?"

 

"Mmm, yeah."

 

"I hope that's not coffee in your cup then!"

 

"Decaf."

 

"Ah."

 

"You don't have to stay up with my, you know," he told her after a little bit of silence.

 

"Yes, I know but I don't have to go bed either." She heard him sigh.

 

"Look, Monica, I know today was tiring and long for you too. So you can go back to bed. I'm okay, really."

 

"No, you're not," she replied running her fingers through his hair.

 

"Mon-"

 

"James, I know you're not okay because you can't be. Not yet anyway... not when the man you loved like he was your own brother di… isn't  _ here _ anymore and you don't know what to do with the pain that's causing you. Now I know the circumstances aren't exactly the same thing, because this loss was a very, very sudden one, but I do know that is  _ how _ you are feeling because I felt the exact same way after cancer took my little sister away from me.”

 

He nodded, “Yeah, I know I’m not okay okay. But what I meant was, it’s okay for you to go back to bed. I mean there's really not much of a point of both of us missing out on a good night's sleep."

 

"I would agree with you on that, but do you really think that I will be able to get a good night's sleep if I know that my husband is sitting alone in a dark room instead…”  _ Grieving for his best friend and brother that he’s lost, _ “... of being in bed with me? I mean would you be able to get any sleep if I were the one out here instead?"

 

"No, no I guess I wouldn't. I know I wouldn't be able to if..." His voice trails off, and he looks at her, "But I still can't go back to bed right now. Every time… Every _ time  _ I close... I close my eyes and all I can see is..."

 


End file.
